The present invention relates generally to the field of optical coupling systems, and more particularly to thermal management in optical coupling systems.
Active optical elements such as electro-optic transceivers often produce substantial thermal loads and are usually optically coupled to large optical connectors which hinder access to cooling elements such as heat sinks. Furthermore, the optical coupling pathways between the active optical elements and the optical connectors comprise materials that are thermally insulating and reduce the ability to cool the active optical elements. Additionally, the continued increase in channels carried on optical fibers along with the potential for multicore fiber applications increases the need for better thermal management in optical coupling systems.